


EGS In Quarantine

by Laparoscopic



Category: El Goonish Shive
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fairy dolls, Gen, Other, Quarantine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23624872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laparoscopic/pseuds/Laparoscopic
Summary: Odd little shorts set in an AU where the members of the EGS crew are in quarantine/lockdown.
Relationships: Ashley/Elliot Dunkel, Grace Sciuridae/Tedd Verres
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	1. Grace & Tedd

All things considered, Tedd and Grace hadn’t had too much problem with the quarantine lockdown. Tedd was always happy when they had long uninterrupted periods of time to experiment with magic. Grace burned off her excess energy by shifting to squirrel form and running around the back yard, playing with the other squirrels.

But one thing that bothered them—especially Grace—was Edward’s continued presence. They had grown used to having the house to themselves much of the time, sometimes for days at a time, when work took him out of town. But he’d been quarantined in the house with them for two weeks, working remotely by computer and magic.

Which meant two weeks of no sex.

Grace didn’t fully understand Tedd’s aversion to making love while his father was in the house, but she respected Tedd’s wishes, albeit reluctantly. But after two weeks of this, the house was running low on AA batteries.

And besides, she missed cuddling. Not just the cuddling that they could do on the couch while watching TV, but the more intimate, post-coital cuddles, with Tedd hot and sweaty in her arms, smiling contentedly, for a short time just _feeling_ instead of thinking. Tedd sometimes thought too much, and Grace felt it was her (pleasant) duty to occasionally distract the magical genius from their work with more earthly, sensual activities.

She was pondering this problem one afternoon as she perched in a tree while in squirrel form, absently gnawing on an acorn she’d dug up a few minutes before. Finishing the treat, she scampered back to the ground and started rooting through the dense shrubs that separated their yard from their back yard neighbor. Pushing deeper into the verdant greenery, she paused a moment in her acorn quest to look up and enjoy the view. It was a cozy little space, dappled sunlight barely visible through the dense leaves overhead. There was a hollowed out spot in the earth, with some bits of old grass and fine brown fur piled in it, and she realized it was probably a rabbit’s burrow. She smiled at the thought of sleeping in that snug little warren. It would probably be almost as comfortable as her own bed.

Then she froze, just the tip of her tail twitching as she had an Idea.

_I’m sorry, Mr. Bun-bun, but I’m afraid we're going to need to borrow your burrow for a while…_


	2. Elliot & Ellen

Elliot opened the door to the bedroom he shared with Ellen, stared blankly for a split second, then quietly closed the door and went back downstairs. He sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands, trying to eradicate what he’d just seen from his memory.

A minute later, a rather flushed-looking Ellen came downstairs. Elliot looked up at the sound of her approach and glowered at her. “You know, we have a lock on our bedroom door for a _reason_ ,” he said, in what he thought was a remarkably calm tone of voice.

Ellen blushed. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. Nanase just popped by unexpectedly, and I, uh…I got distracted.”

“I noticed.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Elliot shook his head and glanced around, making sure their parents weren’t within ear-shot. “I know we’re all going a little stir-crazy with this quarantine, but…” He grimaced as he tried to find a polite way to put his thoughts into words. But polite wasn’t really possible. “Why on _Earth_ would you have sex with a fairy doll?”

“Well…it’s the only way we can touch, at the moment,” she said defensively. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t do something like that if Ashley could visit you in fairy doll form?”

“No.”

Ellen stared at him with a dubious expression for a long moment.

“Well. Okay. Maybe.” He sighed. “It would probably beat the heck out of Zoom sex,” he conceded.

Ellen snickered. “‘Zoom sex’ sounds like premature ejaculation. You might want to see a doctor about that.”

“Hah. Hah. But if you’re busy… _talking_ …with Nanase in person, can I at least have our laptop?”

Ellens snickered again. “Speaking of Zoom sex.”

Elliot rolled his eyes. “Where would I do that, if you two are using the bedroom? I just want to talk with Ash.”

Ellen headed back upstairs, saying, “Yeah, I’ll bring it down, just a second. And I’ll let you have it—and our room—for a couple of hours this evening, to make up for, um, things.”

“Thanks,” Elliot said, grudgingly grateful for that amends. He sat back and waited for Ellen to return with the laptop.

And waited.

And waited.

After five minutes, he gave up and headed back upstairs. “Gorramit, Ellen,” he muttered under his breath. Just as he reached the door to their room, the door opened a couple of inches and Ellen’s hand pushed through the opening, shoving the laptop at him. “Gee, _thanks_ ,” he grumbled as he snatched it out of her hand.

“You’re welcome!” Ellen caroled, apparently oblivious to the fact that she’d failed to bring the laptop down to him like she’d promised. He heard her and Nanase giggling as the door shut again. He shook his head as he headed back downstairs. _Honestly. With a fairy doll?_

Then his face turned bright red as he imagined Ashley in fairy doll form. The notion struck him motionless for a moment as various lewd images flooded his brain. He sighed, and conceded that maybe Ellen had a point.

_I wonder if Nanase can make Ashley a doll like she did for Susan?…_


	3. Susan

Susan hadn’t anticipated having any problems with the quarantine. It was a rational, sensible thing to do, an easy way to slow the pandemic, and she was all in favor of it. She had no problem with finishing classes from home; in all honesty, she had been dreading commencement, being crammed cheek-to-jowl with her classmates just in order to receive a piece of paper. A virtual graduation suited her just fine.

What she _hadn’t_ anticipated—indeed, if she’d been asked about the possibility at the beginning of the quarantine, she would have laughed—was her skin hunger. She longed to be touched.

 _Since when do_ **I** _need to be touched?_ she grumbled to herself. _I hate touching people. It drives me nuts._

But that wasn’t quite as true as it had been a year ago. Or even six months ago. Without realizing it, she’d become _slightly_ more comfortable with human contact, at least with certain people. Sarah, of course. Elliot, while they were doing their review show together. Grace, well, Grace was an unavoidable force of hugging nature, and she’d (mostly) stopped flinching whenever the gregarious woman gave her a quick squeeze. Even Diane, whom she hadn’t known for long but still felt some indefinable connection to and comfort with. All little touches, infrequent, just a touch on the arm here, a quick hug there, but all those little touches added up.

She spent more time on her spell book. Tedd had once theorized that she might be able to project her consciousness into a fairy doll, much like Nanase did, but thus far she’d had no luck with the attempt. She’d imagined flying over to Sarah’s house under the cover of night, just to get a hug that way. But, alas, that seemed to be denied to her too.

She and Elliot made plans to get together digitally to review a movie. Commenting back and forth on the movie via Skype wasn’t quite as satisfying as actually having him sitting next to her, chopsticks in hand, but it was still fun.

“What about watching _Contagion?”_ Elliot suggested with a smirk.

Susan was glad they were talking via Skype, so she could give him her best deadpan glower. “I think that might be a little too on-the-nose right now.”

“Something lighter?”

“Definitely.”

“Maybe something animated? I’ve always wanted to see _Zootopia.”_

Susan grimaced. “Eh…” She was ambivalent about watching children’s movies. More accurately, she greatly enjoyed them, but she felt a little shy about letting Elliot know that fact.

“It’s got great ratings, and it would definitely be lighter. A good pick-me-up,” Elliot offered persuasively.

“Mmm.” Well, it _was_ Elliot. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know she had a softer side. And something light was definitely called for these days. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

As it turned out, it was an excellent call, and she was grateful to Elliot for the suggestion. They cracked more jokes than usual, and Susan was a little sad when the end credits finally rolled.

“So, yeah, I think we can safely say that despite a scary scene or two, this is a good pick-me-up flick for everyone,” Elliot concluded, addressing the camera. “Don’t be embarrassed to indulge yourself with some lighter fluff, folks; we all need a break these days. This isn’t the time to be watching _Schindler’s List._ ”

“And, one more thing,” Susan said “Keep washing your hands, people, and keep yourselves at home as much as you can. This thing isn’t over yet, but we’re going to beat it. Stay home, wear a mask if you absolutely have to go out in public, and keep washing your hands. I see Reddit posts about groups of people in the park playing volleyball, and it drives me absolutely _nuts!_ Social distancing is _working_ , it _will_ save lives you _absolute muppets_ , so stop trying to avoid it! And did I mention washing your hands?” She stopped, suddenly a little embarrassed and breathing hard.

“What she said,” said Elliot with a grin. “So, until next time, I’m Elliot—”

“And I’m Susan. We’ll see you at the movies—but _not_ until after this quarantine is over.”

“And…out,” said Elliot. He busied himself for a moment at his keyboard, saving the footage from his point of view to their shared file server. “I liked your bit at the end there.”

Susan blushed. “I hadn’t really planned on saying anything beyond ‘Wash your hands,’ but it kind of snowballed. Was it too much?”

“Nah. Not enough, probably. I’m glad you said it.”

“I’d been thinking about our viewership numbers, and how they’ve been increasing and I thought…maybe I could do some good.”

“I think you did good,” Elliot grinned, and Susan’s heart did a little flip.

“I’ll work on a rough cut of the show tomorrow afternoon,” Susan said.

“Great. Let me know if you need anything from me.”

They said their goodbyes, and Susan, somewhat reluctantly, ended the call with Elliot. She really missed Elliot’s physical presence. He never gave her hugs like Sarah or Grace did, but he’d grown comfortable enough with her over time to give her a friendly pat on the shoulder or arm in farewell.

She wandered upstairs and into the kitchen, not really hungry, but still looking for something to put in her mouth. She stared at the cookies for a moment, then steered herself to an apple. She washed it, cored it, and cut it into eighths, which she put into a little bowl to take with her to her room.

As she headed to the stairs, she glanced into the living room, where her mother sat with a tablet in her lap. “Mother?”

Her mother looked over to her and smiled. “Hello, dear.”

“Are you reading, or working?”

Her mother tilted the tablet, to show her an e-book on screen. “Reading. There’s only so long I can stare at analyses and reports without going batty.”

Susan smiled. “I thought that was a prerequisite for your job.”

“Yes, but, not usually without interruption. I never thought I would get tired of working from home, but I miss my co-workers. And their occasional interruptions.”

“Yeah. I…miss my friends, too,” Susan admitted.

Her mother patted the couch next to her, and Susan went and sat down next to her. “Apple?” she offered, holding out the bowl.

“Thank you,” said her mother, taking a slice. She took a delicate bite, then asked, “Did you just do a movie review with Elliot?”

“Yes, we watched _Zootopia._ It was surprisingly good, and fun.”

“Hm. Maybe I’ll have to watch it.”

Susan laughed disbelievingly. “You?”

“What, I can’t watch fun movies?” Her mother looked mock offended.

“Well…given that I can’t recall the last time you watched a movie, fun or not…it seems odd.”

Her mother shrugged and finished the apple slice. “Well, I need _something_ new to do while we’re stuck here.”

“Yeah.” Her mother seemed to live and breathe her work, routinely putting in sixty hour work weeks or more. Not so much because she absolutely _needed_ to, Susan gathered, but more because she genuinely enjoyed her work. A strange thought occurred to her. “Do you…do you have any hobbies?” She was startled to realize that she couldn’t think of one.

Her mother lifted her tablet. “I like reading.”

“Mostly legal thrillers, which just seems like your work in a different form.”

Her mother chuckled. “Trust me, my work isn’t nearly this thrilling. Or neat and tidy.”

“I suppose not.” She picked up an apple slice and bit into it, staring at the floor.

“Is something on your mind?” her mother asked.

“Mmm.” Susan chewed and swallowed. She wondered how to word her problem. “Nothing concrete, just…missing my friends.”

“I hear you talking to them for hours on end.”

“Yeah, but…it’s not quite the same thing.”

“No. It’s not. A computer screen is cold and not very cuddly.”

Susan grimaced. Her mother knew of her aversion to touching other people, so it was a little surprising that she would get right to the heart of Susan’s problem so quickly. “Yeah,” she agreed quietly.

“Come here, angel,” her mother said, setting her tablet aside and lifting her arm invitingly.

Susan hesitated, feeling awkward. It was true, her mother was almost the only person who didn’t trigger her touch phobia, but they hadn’t had a terribly tactile relationship in recent years. The easy cuddles and hugs of childhood had dwindled away over the course of her adolescence.

She looked at the distance between them—less than a foot—then set down her bowl of apple slices on the couch beside her and slid over. Since she was several inches taller, she had to slouch down a bit to fit under her mother’s arm. It was a little awkward, but despite the oddness of the situation, she felt comforted as she snuggled in against her mother. “Thanks,” she mumbled softly.

Her mother shifted, settling them into a more comfortable position, then she kissed the side of Susan’s head. “Of course. You’re not the only one who needs a hug now and then.”

Susan thought about that for a moment. Then she wondered why she’d never thought about that before. “Have you ever…” she began, then drifted off, embarrassed and unsure.

“Ever what?”

Susan took a deep breath, hoping she wasn’t about to ruin a rare and pleasant mother/daughter moment. “Have you ever considered…dating again?”

Susan had expected her mother to flinch or tense up at her question, but she did neither. She actually chuckled. “In my copious free time?”

Susan snorted, and relaxed, glad her mother hadn’t taken offense at the question. “You don’t _need_ to work sixty-plus hours a week.”

“True…” Her mother also took a deep breath. “It’s…something I’ve considered, from time to time. My generally poor opinion of the male half of the species notwithstanding.”

“Nothing says you need to date a man,” Susan essayed cautiously.

Her mother laughed. “I thought that was _my_ line, to you.”

Susan snorted. “I’m…too damn neurotic to date anyone. Male _or_ female.”

Her mother squeezed her tighter. “I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”

“Hm. Maybe. But we were talking about _you_ dating.”

Her mother sighed. “It would be easier to date a woman, I suppose. I’ve…considered it. In the abstract. But…”

“But?”

“I just don’t seem to be wired that way. For better or worse, I’m straight. Alas.”

“Alas,” Susan echoed sympathetically. She adjusted her posture to a more comfortable position.

After a long moment of silent cuddling, her mother ventured, “May I ask, what about you?”

“Hm? What about me?”

“Have you considered dating…male or female?”

It was a measure of Susan’s comfort that _she_ didn’t flinch or tense up at the question. She gave her answer a moment of serious thought. “Not…really. Even setting aside my phobias and neuroses…I…just don’t seem to be wired that way,” she said, echoing her mother’s phrasing.

“Not wired for dating?” Her mother sounded puzzled, and Susan was sorry that their current position kept her from seeing her mother’s facial expression. On the other hand, not seeing her face made it a little easier to be honest.

Susan shrugged. “I mean, I’ve felt…attracted. To a couple of people. But…emotionally. Not so much, uh, not…physically.”

“Oh.” Her mother was silent for a moment, processing that, then asked, “So, you’re asexual?”

Susan was astonished at that reaction. She sat up so she could look at her mother. “You’re familiar with asexuality?”

Her mother smiled at her. “Dear, I don’t _solely_ read financial briefings and legal thrillers. I do read the news now and then. Including articles on sexual orientation and gender identity. It has come up in the news a _few_ times in recent years.”

Susan snorted a laugh at that, and when her mother gently pulled her back into a hug, she obliged. She thought a long moment about what her mother had asked. “Honestly? I’m not sure. Ace _kind_ of fits how I feel. I mean, talking to Sarah and some other friends…I get the impression that I’ve…that I am…” she floundered to a stop, momentarily flustered by discussing her sexuality with her mother. She took a deep breath and retreated into the most clinically neutral terms she could think of. “I have a much lower than average libido.”

“Lower. But not…nonexistent?”

Susan shrugged. “Not…totally. But…only for a very few people.”

“Ah.”

Her mother was silent for a long moment after than, prompting Susan to nervously ask, “Does that seem…weird…to you? Abnormal?”

“What? No!” Her mother squeezed her tighter for a moment. “You’re perfect the way you are, Susan. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.”

Susan had to blink rapidly to hold back unexpected tears at that unreserved parental endorsement. “Really?” She suddenly felt like she was a small child again, seeking her mother’s approval.

“Really and truly.” Her mother kissed the top of her head again. “Who and how you love—or don’t love—is your choice, sweetie. I love you regardless.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“No thanks needed. I’ve loved you since before you were born.”

Susan laughed. “I meant for not…freaking out. Or disapproving of me.”

“Well, a, I love you, and b, it’s not as if you chose your sexual orientation.”

“True.” Susan sighed. “I might have chosen something a little less…confusing, if I could.”

“Does it bother _you_?”

“Not really…well, sometimes. I mean, I review movies. Media is so full of sex and romance as the be-all and end-all, it’s hard to not feel weird sometimes.”

“But you have friends who love you just the way you are. Sarah, Elliot, Grace…”

Susan was surprised at her mother including Elliot in that list. But then again, although she generally disliked men, that didn’t mean she was stupid about it. She knew Susan had male friends whom she valued. “Yeah, that’s true.”

Her mother chuckled. “Mind you, it _does_ make it a bit harder to imagine grandchildren in my future.”

“Mother!” Susan’s face went red, and she squirmed a little bit. But she didn’t leave the comfort of her mother’s embrace.

“What?”

Susan opened her mouth, then hesitated. After a moment’s consideration, she admitted, “I… _do_ want children someday. In a vague sort of fantasy vision of my future. So don’t write your hypothetical grandchildren completely out of the picture yet.”

“Ah. Interesting.”

“Mind you, I’ve no realistic notion of how that will happen...”

“Well, you see, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they share a bed and—“

Susan burst out laughing. “Not _that._ I mean…I’m not _averse_ to sex. I just…don’t seem to crave it the way most people do. But first I’d need a partner of some sort.”

“Well, there’s always IVF.”

“I suppose…” She considered that. “Do you ever wish you’d gone that route?”

Her mother was silent for a long time, and Susan began to worry that she’d finally gone too far with her questioning. Then she felt her mother shake her head. “No. For one thing, IVF wouldn’t have gotten me _you_ , and you’re one of the best things I’ve ever done. For another…” She sighed. “There _were_ …good times. Before your father…left. And I think he left you with some good memories too, if you’re honest with yourself.”

Susan nodded slowly. “Yes…” she conceded, reluctantly. “I tried to forget them, when I was younger. Because I was so angry at him, and the happy memories just confused me. Confused and saddened me.” She felt some of that sadness now, recalling both her father’s betrayal and also him carrying her on his shoulders through Disney World when she was five.

“Understandable. But the bad times don’t mean the good times never happened.”

“Yeah.”

“He did love you, very very much. Does love you, I suppose.”

Susan considered her next words carefully. Nervously. “Would it upset you…if I were to try and make contact with him?”

This time her mother _did_ flinch, and was silent for almost a full minute. At last she said, “I’m not sure how to answer that.”

“‘Honestly’ would be my preference.”

“Yes. Well.” She blew out a breath. “Honestly, my first reaction was, ‘Yes, it would upset me.’ But then I tried to think about it rationally. And it seems to me…you’re an adult, now. That would be your choice to make. It…it doesn’t _upset_ me so much as…hurt. Makes me wonder if I’ve failed you in some way.”

“Never,” said Susan firmly, slipping an arm around her mother’s back to hug her in turn. “You’ve always been here for me. If there’s one constant I’ve been able to hold onto in my life, it’s the knowledge that you’re here for me. That you support me. You would move heaven and Earth to help me if you had to, and I know it.”

“Oh.” Her mother’s voice sounded small and surprised. “Truly?”

“Yes. Most definitely.”

“Well. I’m…I’m glad.” Her mother sniffed, and wiped at her eyes with her free hand.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. It’s not about us, you and me. It’s more, I’d like a chance to talk with him. Maybe…get to understand some things better, with an older perspective. Perhaps exorcise some old demons.”

“That…sounds like it could be a good idea.”

“Could be?”

Her mother shrugged. “It’s hard for me to see _anything_ involving your father as a good idea. But I concede the point, intellectually speaking.”

“Do you have any idea where he is?”

Her mother shook her head. “The last we heard from him was your sixteenth birthday card. That was postmarked LA, and I’d thought he was on the east coast. So I really have no idea where he might be now.”

“Do you think Grandma Marion might know?” Susan had had only a little more contact with her paternal grandmother than with her father, but at least her last known address should still be the same.

Her mother sighed. “Probably,” she conceded. “Mind you, Marion was almost as upset with your father as I was about the divorce. Their relationship became a bit…strained.”

“But he’s still her son. So they’re probably at least minimally in contact.”

“Yes.”

“So, that brings me back around to my original question. Would you mind if I tried to contact him?”

Again a long silence. Susan was glad her mother was thinking about it, instead of just giving a knee-jerk reaction.

“No. I don’t mind. Especially if you think it might help you, help you sort through some issues.” She squeezed Susan again. “If it could be good for you, I support it.”

“Thank you.” Susan gave her mother another hug, then sat up straighter, rolling her shoulders as she did so. Hugging while slouched for so long had made her a touch sore. “And on that note…I think I’ll head to bed.”

“Of course.”

Susan stood, and looked down at her mother. Her eyes were a little red, as if she’d shed more than the couple of tears Susan had noticed. She smiled, and asked, “Could I get a good-night hug?”

Her mother laughed and stood up. “Always.”

Susan wrapped her in her arms and hugged her tight. She was about Sarah’s height, so hugging her felt natural. “We should do this more often,” she murmured.

“What, dig deep into our troubled pasts?”

Susan laughed. “No, I meant goodnight hugs.” She couldn’t remember when it had stopped being a nightly ritual, but it had been years.

“Oh. Yes, I’m all in favor of that.”

“Good, because I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” She gave her mother a final squeeze, then stepped back so she could look her in the eye. “I love you, Mother.”

“And I love you.”

“I know.”

Her mother laughed. “Don’t go quoting _Star Wars_ at _me_ , young lady!”

Susan gasped in mock astonishment. “You caught a movie reference!”

“Given how often you played that movie while growing up, it was unavoidable.”

They laughed together, then Susan bent to give her mother a good-night kiss. “Sweet dreams, Mother.”

“You too, darling daughter mine. Don’t forget your apples.”

“Right. Thank you.”

Susan took her apples and headed up to bed, her heart much lighter than it had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With thanks to Zee McZed for beta reading, the idea of Susan ranting, and also for the phrase “you absolute muppets!”
> 
> In this story, I'm trying to work from the characters as they currently (April 2020) are in the strip (with the added AU element of placing them _in_ April 2020). Not the characters as they have evolved and changed over the last 4 years in my other fanfics. A reboot, as it were. Hopefully it goes well.


	4. Grace & Tedd, Part 2

Tedd stared at the wand in his hand, looking dubious. Grace frowned. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

Tedd gave her a nervous smile and shrugged. “I’m a little hesitant about transforming myself into a squirrel. I’ve never figured out _how_ you remain sapient despite having a brain the size of a walnut when you’re in squirrel form. What if _I_ don’t remain sapient?”

“Then I’ll zap you with a reset wand and you’ll be fine. Or we can just run around the yard for a while and you can take a break from all your thinking until it wears off.”

Tedd laughed, his tension easing a little. “A break _does_ sound good,” he conceded. “Though I’d still rather be myself while relaxing.”

“Here,” Grace said, picking up the well-used “reset” wand. Tedd had painted it bright red, to make it easy to find in emergencies. “If you don’t chitter at me three times soon after you’re transformed, I’ll assume your fears were correct, and undo the spell.”

Tedd sighed, and handed Grace the squirrel-transformation wand. “Okay. For science.”

Grace grinned. _And nookie,_ she thought, but didn’t say out loud. She tapped Tedd on the forehead with the drumstick wand and said, “ _Sciuridae!”_

It was fascinating to see someone _else_ transform into a squirrel, as Tedd shrank in size and fur covered his body. He disappeared into the pile of his collapsing clothes. Once the transformation was complete, he crawled out of his shirt and sat up on his hind legs, staring at his forepaws for a moment, looking startled.

“What, you didn’t think it would actually work?” asked Grace, amused.

Tedd shook his head, and looked up—and up, and up—at her, blinking. Then he chirped three times, confirming what Grace had already suspected. “So, you’re still really you in there?”

Tedd gave a little squirrel shrug.

“Excellent!” Grace set down the squirrel and reset wands, and transformed to squirrel form herself. She also crawled out of her clothes and smiled at Tedd. “See, no problem!” she chittered to him in Squirrel.

Tedd blinked at her. “I…can understand you?” He shook his head. “I can _talk_ to you?”

“Of course you can!”

“But…where was the language component of that spell?” asked Tedd. “I never considered—“

“ _Later_ , my relentless genius,” Grace cut him off. “This is relaxation time, remember?”

“I…suppose.” Tedd looked vaguely frustrated for a moment, then took a deep breath and gave Grace a squirrelly smile.

“Let’s head outside,” Grace said.

To prevent the neighbors from wondering why a squirrel was continually going in and out of the Verres’ house, Tedd had installed a “catflap” door in one of the basement windows, which lead out to a window well hidden under a bush in the back yard. A couple of yards of scrap carpet tacked to the wall below the window made an excellent climbing surface. Grace scampered up the carpet to the exit, and paused on the windowsill, looking back at Tedd. “Come on, Tedd! Adventure awaits!”

Tedd “washed” his whiskers with his forepaws in a worried gesture, then visibly took a deep breath before leaping at the carpet. He clung to the side of the wall for a moment, looking nervous.

“Don’t think about it too much, just imagine you’re climbing a tree. Your body will do the rest,” Grace assured him.

“Okay…” Tedd replied dubiously, then scampered up the wall to perch next to her. He looked startled at his accomplishment. “Wow. That…was easier than I expected.”

Grace grinned. “Your body knows what to do.”

He looked around his basement lab from their perch on the windowsill. “This place looks a lot bigger, now.”

Grace chuckled. “Now you know part of why I spend so much time squirrelly. It helps fight the claustrophobic aspects of quarantine.” She grabbed the latch at the bottom of the door and unlocked it, shoving through the top-hinged door into the window well beyond. She waited until Tedd followed her out, and re-latched it, to prevent any other wildlife or cats from wandering into the house. A normal cat-flap couldn’t have a latch, but one used by sapient squirrels could.

She grinned at Tedd, her tail twitching in anticipation. “You thought the _basement_ looked large, just wait until you get a load of the _yard!”_ She leapt up out of the window well, then paused, looking down at Tedd. “Come on!”

Tedd took a deep breath, and leapt up beside her. He blinked a few times and shook his head. “I’m not used to being able to jump several times my body length straight up.”

“That’s only one of the advantages to this form.” She ducked under a branch and crawled out to the edge of the bush, looking out into the yard. She checked the yard for cats and the sky for hawks. Since she didn’t expect Tedd to be properly wary, she felt obliged to watch out for him. Fortunately, the coast looked clear.

“Oh, _wow!”_ Tedd breathed, coming up beside her. His bright black eyes looked even wider as he stared out into the sunny yard. His tail twitched with excitement.

Grace chittered a little laugh. “Told you. The great big yard awaits.”

“Yeah…” He tilted his head from side to side, as if he was trying to look everywhere at once, experiencing the yard from this new perspective. “This field of vision is weird. Like having wide-angle lenses for glasses.”

“It’s handy for keeping you safe from predators. But enough analysis! This is play time, not science time.”

“Right, right,” Tedd said reluctantly.

“Race you to the oak tree!” Grace bolted out from under the bush, heading toward the large tree that shaded the back half of the yard.

“Hey!” Tedd squawked. “No fair!”

Grace laughed as she ran. She was unsurprised when, a moment later, Tedd pulled up even to her, then passed her, reaching the tree just a split-second before her. He sprang onto the tree and scrambled up to the first large branch before stopping. Grace joined him a second later, still laughing in delight.

“Wow! I’ve never been so fast in my life!” Tedd exclaimed. Then he cocked his head curiously. “Did you let me win?”

“Nope! You’re just reaping the advantages of sexual dimorphism.”

“Oh.” He looked at Grace, then down at himself. “I guess I am bigger than you. That’s…different.”

Grace reached out a paw and groomed the fur around Tedd’s ears, making him close his eyes in pleasure for a moment. “But it looks good on you.”

Tedd leaned against her, and they enjoyed a moment of contact before Grace said, “You know what’s even more fun than racing, though?”

“What?”

“Tag! Haven’t you ever seen two squirrels chasing each other around a tree?” Tedd nodded. “Catch me if you can!” She leapt straight out to land on a branch five feet away, then paused to look back at Tedd, flicking her tail in a taunt. “Come one, slowpoke!”

“Slowpoke? I won that race!”

“Yeah, but I know this tree better!” She scampered up the tree, leaping from branch to branch with a squirrel’s agility, enjoying the freedom of movement. She heard Tedd behind her, and she did a sudden about-face, leaping onto a branch beside the one Tedd was on. He tumbled off the branch he was on as he tried to mimic her reversal, catching himself on the next branch down. She laughed, and he laughed with her, trying to match her maneuvers.

Her familiarity with the tree, as well as familiarity with her squirrel body’s abilities, meant that Tedd had no chance of catching her. But they had a delightful time trying, chittering and chirping in squirrel laughter as they ran around and around the tree. Grace was thrilled to be able to share this part of her life with Tedd, and she wondered why they’d waited so long to do so.

At last, she came to a halt on a broad branch, and Tedd pounced on her, still laughing. Grace laughed too, and they snuggled up together for a happy moment, breathing heavily.

“That…was _amazing_ ,” Tedd panted happily. “Tag in three dimensions beats two-D hands-down.”

“Paws-down,” Grace corrected. She leaned over and licked his ears, grooming him. He twitched in surprise at the unexpected sensation, but then he relaxed and enjoyed it. After a minute of being groomed, he tentatively tried to return the favor. He didn’t know the best way to lick fur to be effective at it, but Grace appreciated the gesture.

“Huh. I never thought licking fur could be…pleasant,” Tedd said. “Thought it’d be just like getting a hair stuck in your mouth.”

“You never have any problem with licking my fur when I’m in my human/squirrel form.”

“Huh?” It took him a moment to figure out what she meant, then his eyes went wide. Grace giggled and wondered if his skin was red, under his fur. “Er. Yes. Well…” Tedd mumbled.

Grace let go of Tedd, and leapt for a branch just below them. “Come on. I’ve got something else to show you.”

“Uh. Okay.” Tedd seemed startled by the sudden change, but obligingly followed her down the tree. Grace did another reflexive check for predators, then dashed across the yard to the dense shrubs that separated their yard from their back yard neighbor, Tedd close on her tail.

Grace pushed through the dense leaves to the rabbit burrow she’d found the day before. She lay down in the bedding of soft grass and fur, and curled up, her tail draped coyly across her lower face. She peeked up at Tedd. “Isn’t this a lovely little burrow?”

Tedd peered down at her, looking slightly confused. “Yeah? I guess so.”

“Would you like to curl up with me here for a while?”

“Sure.” He curled up beside her, resting his head on her abdomen. He gave a contented sigh and seemed to be settling in for a nap.

Grace sighed internally. Sometimes subtlety was lost on Tedd. “Sweetie?”

“Yes?”

“Would you make love with me?”

Tedd jerked upright, and he stared down at Grace, eyes wide and tail quivering in astonishment. “Here? Now?”

“Well, we can’t in the house. So, yes, here and now.” She batted her eyelashes at him flirtatiously in a distinctly non-squirrelly manner.

“Um…”

“Is something wrong?” She frowned up at Tedd, confused.

“Grace, my love…I…” Tedd took a deep breath. “I love you in whatever form you may take, but I…I’m not sure I’m ready for…squirrel sex.”

“Oh.” Grace hadn’t even considered that possibility. Her squirrel form was just another part of her. She had just assumed Tedd would be as happy with the notion as she was.

“I mean, I’m not dead-set _against_ it, but…but I think I need to get used to just being a squirrel. First,” he said apologetically.

“Oh,” Grace repeated sadly.

Tedd looked stricken by her disappointment, which made Grace feel a little better, though she was saddened that her idea hadn’t worked. Then Tedd suddenly sat bolt upright, making her twitch in surprise.

“Ah! I’ve got an idea,” Tedd said excitedly. “Wait right here! I’ll be right back.” He turned and bolted back out into the yard. Grace got up and followed him as far as the edge of the bush, watching as he ran back to the window-well entrance to the basement. She considered following him, but…he had said to wait. So she decided to give him a few minutes. She returned to the rabbit burrow and settled in.

Those few minutes stretched to almost ten before she heard the the leaves rustle with Tedd returning. He was moving slowly for some reason, and she got up and met him part-way through the bushes.

The reason he was slow was because he was trying to carry a wand in his mouth, while navigating the branches under the shrub. The wand was almost as long as his body, and kept getting caught on branches. “Tedd? What’s this?” she asked, confused.

Tedd dropped the wand, and gave her a look of squirrelly smug satisfaction. “Help me get this to the burrow,” he said, which explained nothing.

Grace blinked in confusion, then shrugged. She picked up the wand in her mouth, and, with her greater experience, easily maneuvered it to the burrow. She set it down and asked, “So, what does this wand do?”

Tedd grinned. “Well, maybe nothing. I’ve never tried to cast a spell while I’m in a squirrel form. But if it does work…” He picked up the wand in his fore-paws and touched the tip of it to Grace’s body. “ _Homo sapiens minimus!”_ he said.

Grace knew she could resist the spell if she wanted to, but she trusted Tedd, so she let the magic flow through her. The transformation felt somewhat familiar, and yet not. When the transformation was complete, she realized she was in her human shape again, but her size was no larger than it had been.

Tedd chittered something, sounding pleased, but Grace couldn’t understand him in this form. It was odd, seeing a squirrel the same size as herself when she was human. The perspective made him look like a truly giant squirrel. Tedd held out the wand to her, and she took it from him. It was like holding a really thick pool cue. She tilted it forward until the tip was touching Tedd, and repeated the spell he’d uttered.

A moment later, a grinning and naked Tedd was in front of her, looking smugly pleased with himself. “It worked!”

Grace laughed and gave him a hug. The hug turned into a kiss, and the kiss grew rapidly more heated. Grace moaned into Tedd’s mouth, reveling in the feeling of her beloved’s naked body against hers for the first time in weeks.

Grace was pleased to find out that she’d been correct—the little nest of fur and grass was _very_ cozy and comfortable.


End file.
